MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.Multiple stints are are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR

Team

Lg

G

GS

IP

W

L

SV

H

BB

SO

HR

oppTAv

PPF

H/9

BB/9

HR/9

K/9

GB%

BABIP

TAv

WHIP

FIP

ERA

cFIP

DRA

DRA-

WARP

2009

BAL

MLB

12

12

66.7

2

4

0

71

12

48

7

.265

108

9.6

1.6

0.9

6.5

32%

.302

.247

1.25

3.60

4.05

110

4.93

105.6

0.5

2010

BAL

MLB

43

0

44.0

1

2

13

37

5

55

5

.260

114

7.6

1.0

1.0

11.2

25%

.294

.205

0.95

2.36

2.86

91

3.25

73.4

0.8

2011

BAL

0

43

0

47.0

1

1

0

25

8

62

6

.257

105

4.8

1.5

1.1

11.9

31%

.194

.173

0.70

2.59

1.72

89

2.54

59.0

1.2

2011

TEX

0

22

0

18.0

1

2

0

13

1

23

5

.268

108

6.5

0.5

2.5

11.5

36%

.200

.232

0.78

4.28

4.00

80

2.82

65.5

0.4

2012

TEX

MLB

37

0

36.0

0

0

1

20

3

43

4

.263

104

5.0

0.8

1.0

10.8

33%

.200

.169

0.64

2.34

1.75

80

2.52

57.7

1.0

2013

BOS

MLB

73

0

74.3

4

1

21

33

9

101

5

.264

100

4.0

1.1

0.6

12.2

42%

.188

.147

0.57

1.63

1.09

56

1.78

42.6

2.5

2014

BOS

MLB

64

0

64.3

6

5

26

51

8

80

10

.263

102

7.1

1.1

1.4

11.2

35%

.273

.231

0.92

3.11

2.52

87

2.68

65.9

1.4

2015

BOS

MLB

43

0

40.3

2

4

25

28

9

47

3

.260

112

6.2

2.0

0.7

10.5

29%

.248

.203

0.92

2.40

2.23

87

2.72

63.6

1.0

2016

BOS

MLB

50

0

47.0

2

3

7

34

11

63

8

.257

113

6.5

2.1

1.5

12.1

27%

.260

.213

0.96

3.46

3.45

88

2.70

59.9

1.2

2017

CHN

MLB

43

0

38.0

3

4

2

31

11

45

5

.262

100

7.3

2.6

1.2

10.7

28%

.274

.228

1.11

3.34

3.55

111

4.94

105.3

0.1

2011

TOT

MLB

65

0

65.0

2

3

0

38

9

85

11

.260

106

5.3

1.2

1.5

11.8

32%

.196

.190

0.72

3.06

2.35

86

2.62

60.8

1.6

Career

MLB

430

12

475.7

22

26

95

343

77

567

58

.262

106

6.5

1.5

1.1

10.7

32%

.251

.205

0.88

2.81

2.61

88

3.07

69.6

10.1

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

BP Annual Player Comments

Year

Comment

2017

Due to publishing agreements, the 2017 player comments and team essays are only available in the Baseball Prospectus 2017 book (available in hardcopy, and soon e-book and Kindle).

2016

Given the way Uehara tired at the end of 2014 and the finite number of bullets one assumes he has in his right arm, the Red Sox had to at least be considering shutting down their closer altogether in the season's final months. Ian Kinsler made that decision for the Boston brass in early August, when he ended Uehara's dominant 2015 via a line drive that broke Koji's wrist. While he was still very much a high-five catalyst last year, his strikeout rate, walk rate, velocity and flyball percentage were all trending in the wrong direction, and there's an excellent chance that 2016 is his last season. There's also an excellent chance that his last season is excellent, as his splitter and incredible command continue to prove that velocity is not the end-all be-all, even for bullpenners.

2015

The Red Sox decided to do away with any drama regarding a Uehara reunion, re-signing the free-agent-to-be less than 24 hours after the World Series ended. His two-year deal might seem to be a bit much for a 40-year-old reliever, but Uehara's performance dictates the special treatment. Yes, he tapered off toward the end of the 2014 season, but even with his late collapse he finished with 10 times as many strikeouts as walks and an ERA well below 3.00. The Red Sox will have to be judicious in how they use Uehara, and he'll probably be limited to around 60 innings a year. But if he continues to perform at his 2013-2014 level and is deployed properly, there are plenty more high-fives in Boston's future.

2014

Uehara's history of injury kept his price down, allowing the Sox to stash him as depth on the cheap behind Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan. When both went down, the Sox installed Koji as stopper; it's nigh impossible to overstate the impact. Uehara struck out over 11 times as many batters as he walked, retired 37 in a row at one point (a hidden perfect game and then some), and limited opponents to a single run and no walks in 13 postseason innings. As a reliever, Uehara has thrown 219 innings with a 1.93 ERA, 284 strikeouts and 23 unintentional walks, and he somehow had his best year ever as a 38-year-old. Those aren't Mariano Rivera credentials—no one has those—but in this post-Mo world, Uehara might be the closest the game has to offer, at least until he too does the unthinkable and leaves us behind.

2013

Uehara’s stuff is as straightforward as it gets; he’s a two-pitch reliever, mixing his upper-80s fastball and low-80s splitter about evenly. The Japanese import has been one of baseball’s most effective setup men over the last three seasons, posting a 2.36 ERA with nearly 11 strikeouts per walk. Uehara’s dominance comes from both his strike-throwing ability and devastating splitter. While most split-finger specialists struggle to throw it for a strike, Uehara keeps hitters off-balance by moving it in and out of the zone as he pleases. His lack of overpowering velocity renders him homer-prone when he misses over the plate. He surrendered nine round-trippers in 54 innings with Texas in 2011-12. The 38-year-old righty should remain a usable reliever as long as his splitter remains a wipeout offering.

2012

Acquired at the 2011 trading deadline from the Baltimore Orioles for Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis, Koji Uehara appeared in 22 regular season games for the Rangers, but failed to impact the postseason bullpen with his presence. More than just a situational reliever, Uehara’s arsenal is effective against both lefties and righties, showing pinpoint command of an upper-80s fastball and a nasty off-speed arsenal, including a trapdoor splitter that misses a ton of bats.

2011

Part of the Orioles’ surprising flight from 100-plus losses was the decision to let Uehara close, something he had done very successfully in Japan. This stood in marked contrast to Simon, who not only had never closed successfully, but had never pitched successfully. The O’s might have come to this realization sooner had Uehara been more available. He missed the first month of the season with hamstring problems, then lost another six weeks to a strained elbow. Uehara’s fastball doesn’t escape the mid-to-upper 80s, but his outstanding control plays up in the late innings, pressuring batters not to fall behind. From his second DL return on, he walked just three batters in 39 innings. Over his final 25 games, comprising 26.1 innings, he walked no one while striking out 35. He was particularly baffling to right-handed hitters, holding them to a .185/.202/.272 line on the season. There are three knocks against Uehara: his age, his injury history, and the danger that, as a fly-ball pitcher who is always around the plate, his mistakes are going to get launched. The first two make Uehara a risk, but the potential upside of a short-term contract and a late-inning role make the gamble worthwhile.

2010

Uehara's pure stuff is less than impressive, beginning with a fastball that only clocks in at 86-88 mph. What is impressive is how many different things he can do from there. He cuts the fastball in two different ways to produce different movement, and also has a splitter that dives into the ground, an occasional slider, plus a very slow, wide curve, and all of them are thrown with impeccable control. We had two worries about Uehara entering the season: that he wouldn't have the stamina to start regularly after working mainly in relief the last couple of years in Japan, and that he might suffer a recurrence of the leg injuries that forced him to the bullpen in the first place. Both fears came true, but it was a torn elbow tendon that ended his season. He should be fully healed by spring, and is expected to work only in relief.

BP Chats

NL catchers or middle relievers you see w surprising value in 2017? (db from Pgh)

At NL catcher, I like Andrew Susac and Devin Mesoraco, especially Mesoraco. I think a lot of other folks like Susac, too, so he might not end p being a bargain. Mesoraco is more likely to be available at a bargain price due to the ssignificant injury concerns.

As for NL middle relief, I like Edubray Ramos, who is so good that he might end up being promoted from middle relief to closer sooner rather than later. I also like Grant Dayton and Koji Uehara due to their K rates. (Scooter Hotz)

Putnam, Fields, and Black, Tazawa with the caveat that anything can happen between now and ST 2015. If you're looking for fluidity, Chicago and Houston are better place to go than Boston (sounds like they might bring back Koji Uehara) and New York (Mejia is OK if he's healthy, and Familia looks like a solid back-up plan). (Mike Gianella)

Koji Uehara's stats as a one-inning Red Sox reliever:
0.97 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, 10.7 K/BB.
Putting aside the fact that he'd probably get hurt by the fourth game, what's your best guess of what those stats would be if he were used as a starter instead?
(Wilson from Newport)

That's a great question. Koji was a starter when he first came to MLB. He had a 4.05 ERA in 66.2 IP so he was alright, but not anything like what he is now out of the pen.

There's so much to take in. Koji is older and has suffered injuries in the relatively recent past. He throws two pitches, when most starters need three at least by conventional wisdom. Also, most starters go until they have trouble so that means most starters run into some trouble at some point in their starts. As a reliever, Koji goes one inning and then that's it. So I'll say his ERA goes up to 3.something. Low threes. He'd give up more hits, more homers especially, but the walks would probably stay down (he has near perfect control). 1.15 WHIP and 4ish K/BB. But that might be overselling it. It probably is. (Matthew Kory)

I like Ventura better than Bryant, but that seems like a lot to give up for Bryant in any format, even if it's a dynasty league. I don't value closers a lot, but Koji Uehara provided significant value in 2013 and should do the same this year. I might do that if I were giving back a lesser prospect. (Mike Gianella)

Hola. In a 10 team 5x5 with OPS instead of AVG and starting 5 OF, CI, MI, and 1 UTIL, plus 9 P (can be SP or RP). I am leaning toward the following 5 keepers at the cost of the round in (): Fielder (1), Votto (2), Craig (6), Choo (9), Dunn (21). My other options are Beltre (2), Stanton (2), Kinsler (3), Perkins (19) and Uehara (23). Did I choose the right 5? If you keep 2 players from the same round (e.g. Beltre and Votto), it costs that round and the preceding round (e.g. 1st and 2nd). So I couldn't keep 2 2nd's and a 1st. In other words, I can only choose 2 of the 4 from Fielder, Votto, Beltre and Stanton. Stanton's injuries and Beltre's age concern me and I'm loathe to keep closers. Muchas gracias!(Miguel from Venezuela)

Hola Miguel.

The move to Texas obviously helps Prince Fielder a great deal, but I'm not convinced that it provides a complete panacea for his woes at the plate last year. Fielder was a mechanical mess last year, and while I'm sure the Rangers know this and will work on it, he isn't a sure thing. Given the differences in position, I might keep Adrian Beltre over Fielder. It might sound crazy, but Beltre has been an elite third baseman the last couple of years. His age worries me a little bit, but Fielder's off year combined with his physique worries me a little bit as well. Yes, I know Fielder hasn't been hurt and plays a lot but I'm not convinced this trend can last indefinitely.

I might consider Koji Uehara over Adam Dunn, but in an OBP league Dunn in that slot is probably worth it. I am wary of Dunn's age and that any decline in bat speed in 2014 would impact Dunn a lot. He'll be 34 next year, which doesn't sound old but isn't a great age for a hitter of Dunn's profile. (Mike Gianella)

If there is a game 7, how many pitches will Jon Lester throw in it? How many will John Lackey throw it in? How many will Koji Uehara throw in it?(William from Los Angeles)

Lackey won't be back for a Game 7. If he throws a lot of pitches and Boston loses he won't be back, and if he gets crushed so much so that he doesn't throw many pitches, the team won't want him back even if he can come back. Wouldn't shock me if Lester threw an inning, but almost certainly not more than that. Koji may throw six. (Matthew Kory)

Do you know of any intriguing Asian players headed over next year? And how do you rank some of the Japaense pitchers who surprised this year, guys like Uehara and Iwakuma? (japanaese ice from northern california)

Masahiro Tanaka is the guy everyone is talking about. The 24-year-old pitcher (he'll be 25 in 2014) throws mid 90s heat, has solid secondary offerings and has dominated in Japan. He's closer to Yu Darvish than Daisuke Matsuzaka, and could be a top pitcher next year.

Koji Uehara is one of the best closers in the game. His stuff is legit and he has always been hard to hit, even as a non-closer prior to 2013. Iwakuma is another pitcher who really shouldn't have been as much of a surprise as he was. Most of his struggles came in 2012 as a relief arm; he has dominated as a starter ever since 2012. Iwakuma should be a Top 25-30 pitcher even if he slips a little in 2014. He's really good, and his ability to pitch 200+ innings is the only thing I'm wondering about. (Mike Gianella)

Lindbergh and miller talked about their favorite/least favorites moves on the podcast the other day. Your favorite/least favorite offseason move?(Roberto from jury duty (fml))

Glad I could make jury duty go by a little faster, Roberto - and I've got my own appearance to look forward to not long from now.

If we count extensions, I wasn't a fan of the Brandon League move for the Dodgers; if we limit this to free-agent signings, relative to some of the deals handed out since, the three-year, $25 million hitch the Royals gave Jeremy Guthrie seems a little out of place. Specifically, I liked the one-year, $6 million deal for Scott Feldman and the two-year, $15.5 million deal for Brandon McCarthy. And from a bullpen standpoint, one year and $4.25 million for Koji Uehara looks good.

A year ago, remember how bad the Rangers' bullpen was? It was their big weakness and it was going to bring them down and it would never survive a hot summer in Arlington. And now they have converted their closer to a starter and they still have a) Koji Uehara working mop-up innings! This is incredible to me. Isn't Koji Uehara one of the, oh, 20 best relievers in baseball? Maybe 15? And he is their sixth- or seventh man. He came in to the ninth inning down by six the other day. That's just his role! 2) They have Mark Lowe, who would be the easy answer to the Astros' closer question above if he were on the Astros, who hasn't pitched a game in even average leverage all year. The highest ALi he has this year is 0.49, which is ahead by five runs in the seventh inning. 3) They have the best bullpen in baseball. It's probably close, but I really want to be definitive, so I'm going to add "and it's not even close." (Sam Miller)

How much do you think getting bullpen help would help the Angels make the post-season this year? They've already said they don't want to pay for the top-tier guys like Adams or Bell. What other relievers are out there that might make a difference? Koji Uehara?(Dennis from LA)

Uehara or maybe Jim Johnson. I mean, there are about 424 available right handed relievers, and most of those are second tier guys. Thing about relievers is, let's say you get a Chad Qualls. Qualls could go out for 20IP and give up 2ER or Give up 14ER. It's too tough to predict with the less than elite players, of which there are very few. So, you bring in someone(s) with good stuff who's pitching well & you cross your fingers and pray. (Mike Ferrin)

most interesting FA SP still out there for someone like Pitt, Nats, etc?(frank from vegas)

A couple questions out there like this, and I have to apologize and say I don't really have a great answer. My default answer was Jason Frasor, but he accepted arbitration. I like Koji Uehara, and Jenks (if he's non-tendered -- haven't heard much about that lately, so Sox fans in the know feel free to inform me) is probably a good bet. (Ken Funck)

Reports are that Koji Uehara is pitching well this spring. Last year he didn't hold up physically as a starting pitcher. Is there any reason to believe he will hold up better in the bullpen?(TGisriel from Baltimore)

Thank you for answering my earlier question. Looks like Koji Uehara is back with the team, though he's apparently not game-ready yet. How concerning is it to have a partial tear of the flexor tendon in your pitching elbow, and what is his prognosis for next year? Can he resume starting? (Sumi from Monterey Park)

It's bad, plus he has a history of shoulder problems. The O's will use him as a reliever going forward. (Will Carroll)

BP Roundtables

No BP Roundtables have mentioned this guy.

PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

Koji Uehara has thrown 7,553 pitches that have been tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2009 and 2017, including pitches thrown in the MLB Regular Season, the MLB Postseason and Spring Training. In 2017, he has relied primarily on his Fourseam Fastball (87mph) and Splitter (79mph). He also rarely throws a Cutter (82mph) and Sinker (87mph).